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Post-Storm Guide

How to tell if the hurricane damaged your roof — even if it looks fine.

After every Gulf Coast storm, the homeowners who call us in the first week are the ones with water coming in. The ones who call in month six have the bigger bills — because wind damage usually doesn't leak right away, and Florida's insurance clock starts at the storm, not at the leak. Here's what to check, from the ground, without waiting for a stain on the ceiling.

Last updated · Complete Roofing LLC · Gulf Breeze, FL · FL Lic. CCC1337480

Reviewed by Jason Taylor, third-generation Florida-licensed roofing contractor (verify FL Lic. CCC1337480 at myfloridalicense.com)

Quick answer
Wind damage is usually invisible from the ground. After a hurricane, check for granules in the gutters, shingle pieces in the yard, creased or out-of-line shingle tabs, and lifted flashing — then check the attic for daylight or damp insulation. Even if you find nothing, a storm that brought damaging winds is worth a free professional inspection, because Florida's claim deadline is 1 year from the date of the storm (Fla. Stat. § 627.70132) — not from when you discover the damage. Call (850) 220-3965.
FL claim deadline
1 year
From the date of loss — not the date you find the damage (Fla. Stat. § 627.70132).
Isaias gust, Pensacola City Hall
102 mph
Hurricane Isaias made landfall near Destin as a Category 2 on Oct 9, 2026; a weather station near Santa Rosa Sound reported a 116-mph gust (National Hurricane Center update).
Escambia homes lost to Ivan
6,000+
Destroyed or claimed in Escambia County alone (University of West Florida hurricane archive).
The dry-out window
48 hrs
Drying water intrusion fast heads off mold, which many policies limit.

Why a damaged roof can still look fine from the ground

Hurricane-force wind doesn't need to tear shingles off to ruin them. Gusts lift shingles, crease them, and break the adhesive seal strip, then drop them roughly back in place. From the yard the roof looks normal — but the sealed, watertight system is now a loose stack of tabs waiting for the next thunderstorm to drive rain underneath or peel them off entirely.

This is the pattern we see over and over on the Panhandle. This area has taken it hard before — Hurricane Ivan (2004) destroyed or claimed more than 6,000 homes in Escambia County, and Hurricane Sally (2020) dropped over two feet of rain on Pensacola. Both storms struck on the same calendar date: September 16. After each one, roofs that "looked fine" in October were leaking by spring — and some of those homeowners had never documented the storm damage while the claim window was open. Now Hurricane Isaias has hit the same coast: a Category 2 landfall near Destin on October 9, 2026, with a 102-mph gust reported at Pensacola City Hall (National Hurricane Center). The same hidden damage can show up the same way, so check now, while the window is open.

Signs you can check from the ground

Walk the yard with your phone and binoculars: granules collecting in gutters and downspout splash-outs, shingle pieces or whole tabs on the lawn, shingles that look creased, shiny, or out of line along a slope, and drip-edge or step flashing that's bent or lifted. Photograph anything you find, with the date.
  • Granules in the gutters: wind-scoured shingles shed their protective surface. Exposed asphalt ages fast under Florida sun.
  • Debris on the lawn: shingle corners, whole tabs, or ridge-cap pieces in the yard mean the roof gave something up, even if you can't see the spot from below.
  • Creased or "flipped" tabs: look along each slope at a low angle in morning or evening light — creased shingles catch the light differently.
  • Flashing and penetrations: bent drip edge, lifted step flashing, tilted vents and pipe boots are small, cheap fixes now and interior leaks later.

Don't climb up. A storm-loaded roof can be structurally compromised, and footprints across damaged shingles can also muddy what your adjuster needs to see intact. Ground, ladder eave-line at most, binoculars, camera.

What to check in the attic

Go up on a bright day with a flashlight and the lights off: pinholes of daylight through the decking, damp or freshly-stained insulation, dark streaks down rafters, and any new stain that appears after the next rain. Attic evidence often shows up long before the ceiling does.

If you photographed your attic before the season — it's step 2 of our hurricane prep checklist — you now have a clean before/after of your roof.

Why waiting for a leak is the expensive move

Two clocks run against you. Mold: wet insulation and decking grow mold within days, and mold coverage is often limited, so check your policy. The claim deadline: Florida law bars claims reported more than 1 year after the date of loss — the storm date, not the discovery date. A leak you finally chase in month 13 can be storm damage you can no longer claim.

The fix costs nothing: get the roof inspected and the storm documented while the window is open. If there's damage, you file with a year of runway and clean photo evidence. If there isn't, you have a dated record that your roof came through sound. For how the claim itself works, read does insurance cover roof replacement in Florida — and if your roof is older, how roof age affects your coverage.

What to do if you find damage — or aren't sure

Photograph everything, then get a professional opinion. If water is actively coming in, start with the first-hour steps and same-day tarping. If it's not urgent, book a free inspection — we walk it, drone it, and tell you straight what we find: storm damage that needs a repair, normal wear and age, or nothing at all.

Our storm damage repair team handles the documentation either way: dated photos, a written repair scope, and we meet your adjuster on-site. Licensed Florida contractor CCC1337480, headquartered in Gulf Breeze — local crews, no storm chasers, no AOB. For the full post-storm sequence from here, follow the hurricane recovery checklist — and before you sign with anyone, read roofing scams after a hurricane.

Florida law requires every roofer to tell you:

  1. The consumer is responsible for payment of any insurance deductible.
  2. It is insurance fraud punishable as a felony of the third degree for a contractor to knowingly or willfully, and with intent to injure, defraud, or deceive, pay, waive, or rebate all or part of an insurance deductible applicable to payment to the contractor for repairs to a property covered by a property insurance policy.
  3. It is insurance fraud punishable as a felony of the third degree to intentionally file an insurance claim containing any false, incomplete, or misleading information.

This page is general information for Florida homeowners, current as of October 2026 — not legal or insurance advice. Coverage depends on your policy; verify specifics with your agent or the Florida Department of Financial Services.

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Got Questions?

Hurricane Roof Damage — Frequently Asked

Months. Wind that lifts shingles and breaks their adhesive seal doesn't necessarily tear them off — the roof looks intact from the ground, then the loosened shingles let water track in during ordinary thunderstorms weeks or months later. That delay is dangerous in Florida, because the insurance claim deadline runs from the date of the storm, not from the day you finally see a stain on the ceiling.

Yes, if the storm brought damaging winds to your area. The most common wind damage — broken seal bonds, creased tabs, lifted flashing, nail pops — is invisible from the ground. A professional inspection is the only reliable way to know, and ours are free across the Panhandle: a walk of the roof, drone photos of the high spots, and a straight answer either way. Call (850) 220-3965.

Some granule shedding is normal aging, but a noticeable load of granules in gutters and downspouts right after a storm means wind-driven rain and debris scoured the shingles' protective surface. Exposed asphalt ages fast under Florida UV. It's worth an inspection — especially if you also find shingle pieces in the yard.

Whether wind damage is covered, and at what hurricane deductible, depends on your policy — only your insurance company or agent can tell you. What the law does set: Florida (Fla. Stat. § 627.70132) bars claims reported more than 1 year after the date of loss, and the clock runs from the storm. Damage discovered at month 13 of an unreported loss is generally out of luck. That one-year clock is the practical reason to inspect and document soon after a storm rather than waiting for a leak.

From the ground and the attic, yes: binoculars along each roof plane for creased or out-of-line shingles, a check of gutters for granules, the yard for shingle pieces, and the attic with a flashlight for daylight or damp insulation. Don't climb onto the roof — post-storm roofs can be structurally compromised, and walking one can also disturb evidence an adjuster needs to see intact.

Start with your own insurance company or agent: who pays depends on your policy and on the tree's condition before the storm, and only your insurer can tell you. Practically: photograph the tree on the roof before it is removed, get the opening tarped the same day, and report it to your own carrier.

Yes, and insurers treat them differently (your policy decides how). Storm damage tends to be directional and sudden — creases on the windward slopes, a clean before/after — while age shows up evenly as curling, cracking, and heavy granule loss everywhere. If you're not sure which you're looking at, see our guide to the signs you need a new roof, or let us look for free.

Get a free post-storm roof inspection

Jason or a senior estimator walks the roof, drones the high spots, and gives you a straight, photo-documented answer — damage or no damage. Free across Pensacola, Gulf Breeze, Navarre, Milton, and the Panhandle.

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